Means for conditioning materials



I f Y r 6 3 G. D. HARRIS MEANS FOR CONDITIONING MATERIALS Original Fil ed June 1, 1926 i I J .mllm Mu July 21, 1931.

ATTORNEYS.

I Patented July 21,1931

UNITED STA-TES- PATENT OFFICE coRnoN n. HARRIS, or soUND Rn cn, coNNEcTIoUT, AssIeNoR To THE INDUSTRIAL DRYER CORPORATION, A CORPORAT ON or CONNECTICUT MEANS FOR CONDITIONING MATERIALS Application filed June 1,1926, Serial No. 112,988. Renewed January 21, 193.0.

This invention relates generally to means and a method for humidifying and condition- I ing materials.

A general object of the present invention is to provide for the conditioning of materials, such as leather or tobacco, for any purpose by the subjection of the materials to a I moistening or humidifying operation.

supply of heat and water to the evaporation" A further object of the invention is to pr ovide a humidifyingapparatus in which wa I ter vapor is supplied to a material conditioning chamber in the ratio at which moisture is absorbed by the material. v

The invention comprises means and a method for supplying heat units by radiation to the, surfaces of a body of water and communicating water-absorbent members, and

in directing: the moving vapor currents, whichare produced by the expansion of water into vapor units, into the humidifying chamber.

By suitable control andlregulation of the chamber, the necessary ratio between the Va or supplied and the moisture absorbed will be achieved to maintain the degree of humidity in the conditioning chamber at the point best suited for the conditioning of the tailed description of the invention, a humidifying chamber is shown at 5' in which the material to be treated may be placed. Access to the chamber may be had through the provision of suitable door openings or the like not shown in the drawing.

The lower portion of the chamber 5 is provided with a supplemental or secondary floor member 6 spaced above the floor member properly shown at 7 and preferably formed of readily removable sections. for the purpose of gaining access to the chamber 8 provided between the floor members 6 and 7.

- Within the relatively restricted chambers- 8 shallow receptacles or containers 9 are placed and are connected to each other by means of pipe sections 10. The containers 9 are open at the top and are adapted to contain a volume of water supplied thereto through a pipe 11 controlled by a valve 12.'

At the opposite end of the chamber 5 the adjacent water receptacle or pan 9 is sup-v plied with a water level indicator 13 which also serves as a trap to prevent the escape of air and water from the chamber 8. 7

Within the evaporating chamber 8 a series of water absorbent members 14 is suspended from transversely extending supports 15, the

lower ends of the wick-like absorbent members 14 being immersed in the water 16 con tained in the pans 9. With the construction described it will be seen that notonly is there a considerable superficial area of water exposed by the shallow pans 9 but the area of moistened surface is considerably increased pg the use of the water absorbent members In order to produce vapor in the chamber 8 by converting heat units into vapor units, heating devices 17 are mounted within the chamber 8 in such relation to the surfaces of the water therein and the water moistened surfaces that evaporation is produced by the radiation of heat from the heating devices. 17. The heating devices 17 are capable'of complete control and regulation in order to provide such an interchange of heat units for units of vapor that the moisture containing mass of air thus produced has a complete saturation, that is, the air contains all'the moisture that it can hold at the existing tempera-' results in the movement or flow of air outwardly toward each opposite end of the chamber 8, as indicated by the arrows in the drawing. The efiect is that a flow of moisture laden air is produced which travels through the ports 18 provided at the opposite ends of the floor section 6 and into the humidifying or conditioning chamber 5. Preferably bafiie or deflecting members 19 are provided to cause the currents of air to flow inwardly into the chamber and into satisfactory contact with the material suspended or otherwise posi tioned therein.

As water is removed from the pans 9 by the evaporating effect, additional water may be supplied through the pipe 11, as will be clear, the quantity of water remaining in the pans being constantly indicated by the gage member 13.

In the operation of the apparatus, the heaters 17 are regulated to supply the heat units necessary to evaporate water in the precise ratio needed to maintain within the conditioning chamber 5 the desired degree of humidity to effect the desired treatment of the materials therein. The regulation thus afiorded provides for any desired degree of flexibility so that dry material can be moistened to any desired extent or a normally moist material can be prevented from drying out.

What I claim is:

1. In a humidifying device, a chamber in which to place the material to be treated, a passageway beneath the floor of the chamber extending the full length thereof and communicating with its opposite ends, means in the passageway for heating air there n, and moisture supplying elements located in sa d passageway, to whose surfaces heated air is applied.

2. In a which to place the material to be treated, a passageway beneath the floor of the chamber extending the full length thereof and communicating with its opposite ends, means 1n the passageway for heating air there n, and moisture supplying surfaces located in said passageway, said surfaces being so distributed through the passageway and so extensive in superficial area as to insure that the heat units imparted to the air are substantially entirely exchanged for moisture units.

3. A humidifying apparatus having in combination a treating chamber, a humiditying tank beneath said treating chamber with a relatively shallow air passage over said humidifying tank, said tank and air passage extending the full width and length of sa d treating chamber and a heating unit in said air passage arranged to radiate heat to the surface of water in said humidifying tank and cause a circulation of vapor along said passage to the treating chamber.

4. A humidifying apparatus having in passageway into the chamber.

GORDON D. HARRIS.

humidifying device, a chamber in 

